ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Josh Fogg has a rookie resume and an entry-level salary, but his Pittsburgh teammates say he has the moxie of a wily veteran and his manager insists he has the shifty repertoire of Greg Maddux.

Besides, Fogg has already pitched in Yankee Stadium in October. The only run he allowed in 3 1/3 innings of relief for the White Sox was off a sacrifice fly by Alfonso Soriano.

"One of the things you dream about," Fogg said of that stint at the end of the 2001 regular season. "It wasn't a packed house, but it was enough to let you know they're there. I had butterflies, but I have butterflies every time I go out there. It's the nature of competition.

"If you don't have them, something's wrong."

Fogg induced a few butterflies for Pirates manager Lloyd McClendon on Tuesday night against the Anaheim Angels before 17,755 at Edison Field, but McClendon still beamed about Fogg after he pitched into the seventh inning of Pittsburgh's 7-3 victory.

"It will not surprise me if one year he leads the league in home runs allowed," McClendon said. "But he won't walk a lot of people, and solo shots won't hurt you as much."

Jimmy Anderson had led the Pittsburgh staff in homers allowed, with 13, before Tuesday. The consecutive solo shots matched Fogg with Anderson, but it was the one that didn't clear the wall that shocked McClendon.

McClendon was so certain that Fullmer's blast in the fourth, off an 80 mph Fogg pitch with one out and Tim Salmon on first, was going to clear the short wall in right field that he turned his head. He didn't want to see it land in the seats.

Then Pirates third-base coach Trent Jewett startled McClendon, just after right fielder Craig Wilson reached over the wall with his left-handed glove to snare the ball.

"I had started to focus on something else," McClendon said. "Then (Jewett) said, '(Wilson) caught it!' I said, 'He did what?' I guess I misread it. I just thought the ball was going out."

Fogg struck out one and walked two, one being Salmon before Fullmer's long out. Fogg's other walk was intentional, to Garret Anderson.

"I was hoping that would come down," Fogg said of Fullmer's prodigious out in the fourth. "It went up, and I thought, 'Oh, my.' (Wilson) went back and made a great catch out of position."

Wilson, 25, has spent most of his career at catcher, first base or left field. He grew up and resides in Southern California, so he might be the one Pirate with knowledge of the curvature of Edison's right-field corner.

McClendon, though, wasn't the only Pirate to misread the foreign park. Catcher Jason Kendall also was reared here and lives in Southern California, but he didn't know the nuances of the place. That's what Interleague intrigue is all about.

"None of us knew this park," Kendall said. "Craig made a very good play, but I didn't think it was gone. (Fullmer) hit it off the end of his bat, so it didn't sound like (a homer). And I know Fullmer has some pop, from his Montreal days."

Others are learning about Fogg, although Anderson said he possesses "nothing special." Anaheim manager Mike Scioscia gave Fogg credit for changing his speeds well and keeping the Angels off-balance.

McClendon raved in his pre-game scouting report. Won't give in, McClendon said. Throws four pitches for strikes. Tremendous poise. Good presence. Keeps 'em off-balanced, taking their legs away from them. The rest of the Pirates rave as much about Fogg.

All that, and for only $203,000 -- the second-lowest salary on the entire Pittsburgh roster -- this season?

McClendon did offer some clarification, too.

"If he gets it up in the zone," McClendon said, "he will have trouble."

That visited him in the seventh. At the start of it, he had a 4-1 lead. When McClendon retrieved the ball from his hand, the lead was whittled to 4-3, courtesy of Fullmer and Spiezio.

An 88 mph pitch by Fogg -- he hit the 90s twice in the game -- had been taken for a ball by Spiezio when Pirates pitching coach Spin Williams sauntered to the mound for a brief chat.

"You're pitching a great game," Williams told Fogg. "You gave up a home run there (to Fullmer), but go after this guy."

Fogg then delivered another 88-mph pitch that Spiezio poked over the wall in right field.

"I left another one up (high)," Fogg said. "If you make mistakes, they'll hit it. I'll give up a lot of home runs, but I'd rather not walk anyone. I'll throw it in the strike zone, so it'll probably be a good pitch to hit."

Fogg got Bengie Molina to ground out, and then the 25-year-old who was acquired in a swap with the White Sox in December was yanked from his 13th Major League start.

Pittsburgh second baseman Pokey Reese tripled in three runs in the eighth, and one of the National League's top bullpens -- whose 2.64 ERA is second in the N.L. -- put the finishing touches on the victory.

"Anytime you win," Fogg said, "it's a good start."

Spoken like a sage veteran who doesn't allow butterflies to become vultures.

Rob Miech is a contributor to MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

LongDistanceFan

06-12-2002, 05:38 PM

all kipper and josh has done is pitching with success, but can they hit.... ha :D:

DrCrawdad

06-12-2002, 06:09 PM

Can we now say that Fogg is for real now?

Awhile ago some were saying that, and I tended to agree, that Fogg was benefitting by facing weak hitting NL teams. Well now Fogg beat a team in Anaheim that has absolutely kicked the Sox butts.

I really didn't mind trading for Ritchie, in fact I liked acquiring him. However the Sox without a doubt gave up WAY TOO MUCH for Ritchie. The Yahoo's at Yahoo.com agree...

Ritchie will improve upon his 3-8 record, but even if he wins 20 games, this will be a good trade for the Pirates. Wells threw 97 mph on his last pitch of a four-hit shutout against the Cubs in late May. Fogg draws comparisons to Greg Maddux. Both are only 25.

baggio202

06-13-2002, 12:35 AM

Originally posted by LongDistanceFan
all kipper and josh has done is pitching with success, but can they hit.... ha :D:

actually kip is outhitting clayton by 7 points :)
207 to 200

pearso66

06-13-2002, 12:51 AM

i dont remember saying that royce could hit, ALMOST anyone can out hit him, all you need to do is hit 1 out of 5

LongDistanceFan

06-13-2002, 06:25 AM

Originally posted by baggio202

actually kip is outhitting clayton by 7 points :)
207 to 200 someone should post that in the sox clubhouse ............ oh that will hurt. :D: